רֹב151 H7230
Multitude, abundance, or greatness; the nominal form of the root ר-ב-ב expressing large quantity, impressive magnitude, or functioning as a quantifier 'many/much.'
The noun רֹב (rov) is Hebrew's standard way of saying 'a lot' — whether counting people, measuring things, or expressing sheer magnitude. With 149 occurrences it appears across every genre: patriarchal promises of innumerable descendants (Gen 16:10), prophetic indictments of Israel's many sins (Isa 1:11), wisdom reflections on the 'multitude of words' (Prov 10:19), and cosmic declarations about God's abundant power (Ps 33:16–17). Cross-linguistic evidence reveals subtle distinctions the English 'multitude' obscures: Spanish separates abundancia (quantity) from grandeza (magnitude), and Hindi distinguishes बहुतायत (abundance) from बड़ाई (greatness). Occasionally רֹב functions as a pure quantifier ('many days,' Eccl 11:1) or even verbally ('to be abundant,' Deut 7:7).
Senses
1. abundance, multitude — The core nominal sense: a large quantity, number, or amount of something — 'multitude' or 'abundance.' This is the dominant usage at 132 occurrences. Appears in construct chains (רֹב + genitive) across every domain: multitude of people (Prov 14:28), abundance of sacrifices (Isa 1:11), quantity of possessions (Gen 27:28). Arabic كَثْرَة (kathrah), Korean 많음 (manh-eum), Swahili wingi, and Hindi बहुतायत all converge on pure numerousness. Key passages: Genesis 16:10 ('I will multiply your offspring so that they cannot be counted for multitude'), Hosea 9:7 ('because of your great iniquity'). 132×
AR["بِ-كَثْرَةٍ", "بِكَثرَةٍ", "بِكَثْرَة", "بِكَثْرَةٍ", "عَظِيمًا", "كَثيراً", "كَثِيرًا", "كَثِيرٌ", "كَثِيرَةً", "كَثِيرُونَ", "كَثْرَةً", "لِلكَثرَةِ"]·ben["-প্রচুর", "অধিক", "অনেক", "প্রচুর"]·DE["zu-viel"]·EN["for-abundance", "in-abundance", "to-multitude"]·FR["zu-nombreux"]·heb["ל-ה-רב"]·HI["-के-बहुत", "बहुत", "बहुतायत-में", "बहुतायत-से"]·ID["berlimpah", "berlimpah-limpah"]·IT["a-numeroso"]·jav["kathah", "kathah-sanget"]·KO["로-그-많음", "로-많음", "많이", "많이-에", "매우-많이", "에-많은", "에-풍성히", "에게-그-많음"]·PT["em-abundância"]·RU["в-изобилии", "в-множестве", "во-множестве", "много"]·ES["en-abundancia", "en-multitud"]·SW["kubwa", "kwa-wingi", "nyingi", "wengi"]·TR["bol", "bol-olarak", "çok", "çoklukta", "çokluğa", "çokluğunda"]·urd["بکثرت", "بہت", "بہت-زیادہ", "بہتایت"]
Deut 1:10, Deut 10:22, Deut 28:62, Josh 11:4, Judg 6:5, Judg 7:12, Judg 7:12, 1 Sam 13:5, 2 Sam 17:11, 1 Kgs 4:20, 1 Chr 12:40, 1 Chr 22:3 (+38 more)
2. greatness, magnitude — The qualitative sense: greatness, magnitude, or impressive extent — not mere counting but the awe-inspiring scale of something. Distinguished from sense 1 by cross-linguistic evidence: Spanish grandeza (not abundancia), Hindi बड़ाई/बड़े ('bigness'), and German Menge used in its intensive register. The 10 occurrences focus on God's attributes and mighty acts: Exodus 15:7 ('in the greatness of your majesty'), Psalm 33:16–17 (a king is not saved by the greatness of his army, nor a warrior by great strength). Joshua 9:13 uses it for the 'greatness' of the journey — length and difficulty, not mere distance. 10×
AR["بِ-كَثْرَةِ", "بِ-كَثْرَةِ-", "بِكَثْرَةِ", "بِكَثْرَةِ-", "مِن-كَثرَةِ", "مِنْ-كَثْرَةِ", "وَ-بِ-كَثْرَةِ", "وَبِكَثْرَةِ"]·ben["-বহু", "-বাহুল্যে-থেকে", "অতিশয়ে", "আধিক্য-থেকে", "আধিক্যে", "এবং-আধিক্যে", "ও-বহু", "বহুত্ব-থেকে", "বৃহত্তরে"]·DE["Menge", "Menge-", "durch-Menge", "in-der-Menge-", "und-durch-Menge", "und-in-greatness-von", "von-der-greatness-von"]·EN["and-by-great", "and-in-greatness-of", "because-of-the-greatness", "because-of-the-greatness-of", "by-great", "for-greatness-of", "from-abundance-of", "from-the-greatness-of", "in-the-abundance-of-"]·FR["dans-multitude", "dans-nombreux", "de-le-greatness-de", "de-nombreux", "et-dans-greatness-de", "et-dans-multitude"]·heb["ב-רוב", "ב-רוב-", "ו-ב-רוב", "מ-רוב"]·HI["-बड़ाई-के-कारण", "और-बड़ाई-में", "और-से-बड़े", "बहुत-से", "बहुताई-में", "बहुताई-से", "से-बड़े", "से-बहुताई"]·ID["Dan-dalam-kebesaran", "dalam-kelimpahan-", "karena-banyaknya", "karena-kebesaran", "karena-sangat-jauhnya"]·IT["da-il-greatness-di", "e-in-greatness-di", "e-moltitudine", "moltitudine"]·jav["Ing-kathahipun", "Lan-ing-kathahipun", "ing-ageng", "ing-ageng-", "kalayan-kathah", "lan-kalayan-kathah", "saking-kathah-ipun", "saking-kathahipun", "saking-kebak-"]·KO["그리고-크심-으로", "많은", "많음-으로", "많음에서", "에서-큼", "큰", "큼-안에서"]·PT["E-na-grandeza-de", "Pela-multidão-de", "da-abundância-de", "da-muito", "de-abundância-de", "e-pela-abundância-de", "na-abundância", "pela-grandeza", "pela-multidão-de"]·RU["И-в-множестве", "за-множество", "и-множеством", "множеством", "от-долготы", "от-множества", "по-изобилию"]·ES["Por-grandeza-de", "Y-en-grandeza-de-", "en-abundancia-de", "por-abundancia-de", "por-la-grandeza", "por-lo-largo-de", "por-multitud-de", "y-por-grandeza-de"]·SW["Na-kwa-wingi", "kwa-sababu-ya-urefu-wa", "kwa-sababu-ya-wingi", "kwa-wingi", "kwa-wingi-wa", "na-kwa-wingi-wa"]·TR["Ve-çokluğuyla-", "bollugundan", "bolluğundan-", "bolluğuyla-", "coklugundan-", "ve-çok", "çok-", "çoklukta-", "çokluğundan"]·urd["-بڑی", "-بڑے", "اور-بڑی", "اور-کثرت-میں", "بِ-کثرت", "بہتات-سے", "زیادتی-سے", "سے-بہتات", "کثرت-سے"]
3. many, much (quantifier) — Adjectival or adverbial use as a quantifier meaning 'many,' 'much,' or 'most' — functioning as a modifier rather than an abstract noun. Five occurrences where רֹב modifies rather than stands alone. Spanish muy/mucho/muchos, Hindi बहुत/अधिकांश, Korean 많은 (manh-eun) all reflect this shift from noun to quantifier. Key passages: Esther 10:3 ('great among the Jews and accepted by the multitude of his brothers'), Proverbs 20:6 ('many a man proclaims his own loyalty'), and 2 Chronicles 24:24 ('though the army... came with few men, yet [the LORD] delivered a very great army into their hand'). 5×
AR["عِنْدَ‒أَكْثَرِ", "كَثيرٌ-", "كَثِيرًا", "وَبَعْدَ"]·ben["-অধিকাংশের-কাছে", "-অনেক", "অনেক", "অনেকে", "ও-অনেক-পরে"]·DE["und-Menge", "viel", "zu-viel"]·EN["and-after-many", "by-multitude-of", "great", "many-of", "much"]·FR["et-de-nombreux", "multitude", "zu-nombreux"]·heb["ו-מ-רוב", "ל-ה-רב", "ל-רב", "רב־"]·HI["अधिकांश में", "और-बहुत-से", "बहुत", "बहुत-", "बहुतायत-से"]·ID["Banyak", "banyak", "berlimpah", "dan-sesudah-banyak", "oleh-banyak"]·IT["a-numeroso", "abbondanza", "e-moltitudine"]·jav["déning-kathah", "kathah", "kathah-saking", "kathah-sanget", "lan-sasampunipun-kathah"]·KO["그리고-많은", "많은-", "많이", "에-그-많은", "에게-많음"]·PT["Maioria-de-", "e-de-multidão-de", "muito", "para-multidão-de"]·RU["и-по-прошествии-многих", "многие-", "много", "многое", "у-множества"]·ES["Multitud-de-", "mucho", "muy", "por-multitud-de", "y-después-de-muchos"]·SW["kubwa", "mengi", "na-baada-ya-wingi", "na-wengi", "wengi"]·TR["ve-coklugu", "çok", "çokluğa", "çoğu-", "çoğunluğu-için"]·urd["اور-بعد", "بہت", "بہت-", "کثرت-میں"]
4. to be abundant (Qal verbal) — Rare verbal use of the root ר-ב-ב in Qal stem — 'to be abundant, to be numerous.' Only 2 occurrences retain this verbal character. Deuteronomy 7:7 is pivotal: 'Not because you were more numerous (מֵרֻבְּכֶם) than any people did the LORD set his love on you, for you were the fewest.' Arabic لِكَثْرَتِكُمْ ('for your being numerous'), Korean 너희가 많으므로, and Spanish por ser más numerosos all render this as a verbal predicate. Proverbs 13:23 provides the second instance. These forms sit at the boundary between noun and verb, showing the root's living verbal force behind the noun. 2×
AR["كَثيرُ-", "لِكَثْرَتِكُمْ"]·ben["অনেক-", "তোমাদের-বহুসংখ্যক-হওয়ার-কারণে"]·DE["viel", "weil-von-dein-Menge"]·EN["abundant", "because-of-your-multitude"]·FR["multitude", "parce-que-de-ton-multitude"]·heb["מ-רובכם", "רב־"]·HI["तुम्हारी-बहुताई-से", "बहुत"]·ID["Banyak-", "karena-banyak-kamu"]·IT["abbondanza", "perche-di-tuo-moltitudine"]·jav["amargi-kathah-ipun-panjenengan", "kathah"]·KO["많다", "에서-너희가-많음"]·PT["Muita", "por-serdes-numerosos"]·RU["из-за-многочисленности-вашей", "много-"]·ES["Mucho", "por-ser-más-numerosos"]·SW["kwa-kuwa-wengi-zaidi", "wingi-wa"]·TR["çokluğunuzdan", "çoktur-"]·urd["بہت", "تمہارے-بہت-ہونے-سے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
רֹב151 n.m. Jb 11:2 multitude, abundance, greatness;—abs. ר׳ Gn 16:10 +, רוֹב 1 Ch 4:38; 2 Ch 31:10 + Jb 33:19 Qr (Kt ריב); cstr. רֹב Ex 15:7 + (רֹב־ Jb 37:23 Baer Gi), רָב־ Jb 23:6 +; 2 K 19:23 and pl. cstr. רֻבֵּי Ho 8:12 v. infr.;— 1. multitude (c. 125 times): of pers. Ho 10:13; Pr 14:28; 20:6; Est 10:3 +; of things Is 1:11; 47:12; Ez 27:18; Lv 27:16; Pr 10:19; Jb 11:2 +; = great quantity,…